"Every company that I speak to at the moment is engaged in rethinking their supply chains ... because they anticipate that our politicians will inevitably accelerate towards a decoupled world from China," CBI Director-General Tony Danker was quoted as telling the Financial Times newspaper.
China was Britain's biggest source of imported goods in 2021, accounting for 13% of the total, while it was the sixth-largest destination for goods exports, according to Britain's official trade statistics.However, British security concerns have risen in recent years, fuelled by disagreements with China over Hong Kong and other issues. Last week, the head of Britain's foreign intelligence service, Richard Moore, said China was now his top priority, ahead of counter-terrorism work.